Write-ins work best for Werst

HAUSER – Don Werst agrees – write-in campaigns have worked well for him.

Werst officially becomes the mayor of Hauser in January after successfully unseating 14-year Mayor Ed Peone with a write-in campaign. Werst also won a Hauser City Council seat with another write-in campaign two years ago.

Werst says he really hadn’t planned on running for mayor, and consequently, didn’t get his name on the ballot in time.

“I thought I would finish my two years on the council and then do more fishing,” he says.

But the voting public had other plans – of the 93 votes cast, Werst had 57 and Peone had 36.

“I have been overwhelmed, shocked and flattered with the support,” Werst says. “It was a last-minute decision. I believe the voting public was ready for change.”

Werst’s City Council write-in campaign was a fluke, as one of the names he collected for the ballot paperwork was not legal.

“I didn’t know that the person on the paperwork had recently been sworn in as American and their name had not reached the state records yet,” Werst says. “I had to regroup and run as a write-in at that point.”

Werst, 68 and retired from the Air Force, is a Kootenai County Courthouse security guard. He has lived in Hauser for about 10 years and says his motivation to run for City Council centered around preserving the quality of life around Hauser Lake. It’s still a top priority.

“A large development on the east side of Hauser Lake caused concern because there were a lot of houses planned for very small lots,” Werst says. “I wanted to make sure the council got all the facts and information so they could make an intelligent decision.”

Since Hauser Lake is a small lake, Werst feels that large developments have significant impacts that the community may not be ready to handle.

“We can’t widen the roads – it is important that we preserve the quality of life and be able to handle the growth,” Werst says.

Werst believes so strongly in the quality-of-life issue, that he built a Web site for the city titled, “Quality of Life.” He has also been involved in the city’s public works, communication, roads and highways committees, has helped to secure trucks for the city, and is an active member of the Hauser Watershed Coalition.

As mayor, Werst plans to let the council be more involved in the decision-making.

“I intend to let the council be the guiding light of the community,” Werst says.

Werst’s future projects include studying city codes to see what needs to be updated, studying additional water sources, and voluntary annexation of surrounding areas to improve services.

Werst says he does not intend to make any major changes right after taking office and has nothing but praise for Peone.

“I traveled the world and discovered Hauser,” he says. “I will live here until I can’t live here any more, and I intend to preserve our quality of life – to the best of my ability.”